The Department of State Service has yet to release an Islamic cleric, Abdul-Ganiyy Jimoh, it held in its custody since July 2014, despite Thursday’s ruling by a Federal High Court sitting in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
Speaking with Punch's correspondent on the phone on Friday, counsel to the applicant, Hammed
Adetola-Kazeem, confirmed that his client had yet to be released.
In her judgement,
Justice F.O.G. Ogunbanjo, had said that the continued incarceration of the
applicant since July, 2014 without trial in a competent court grossly violated
his liberty and the tenets of the constitution.
Ogunbanjo said that
though security agencies were backed by law to investigate anyone they
suspected posed threat to the society, the constitution does not empower them
to detain such persons without court’s ruling.
“The DSS did not deny
the arrest of the applicant and subsequent arrest of the 2nd applicant, but
denied all other allegations contained in the motion,” the judge said, before ordering
the DSS to pay the applicant N1m for the pains it had caused him both
physically and mentally.
Ogunbanjo also directed
the agency to tender a public apology to Jimoh who it accused of terrorism.
Adetola-Kazeem, had
last year filed a notice before the court seeking an order declaring the arrest
and detention of his client as illegal, praying the court to award the
applicant N300m damages.
Wife of the detained
cleric, Muinat, was released last September following complications resulting
from pregnancy.
-Punch
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